The team at Shopanthropic wishes you and your loved ones a very Happy Holiday season, filled with love and laughter, and a Happy New Year, with the promise of hope and joy!

2017 has been a year of of growth, promising ideas and beautiful ethical fashion! We are excited to continue forging ahead in 2018 – as we help make the world a little kinder and a little more fashionable.

In recent news, high fashion retailer Gucci announced they have plans to discontinue the use of real fur. This grand gesture is not unique, as countless other high fashion labels have already gone ‘vegan’ but it does show a willingness to evolve with consumer preference.

As each brand makes such commitments to change the way they produce and what they sell, the industry will finally follow the direction it needs to. However, is this change happening fast enough?

“A ban by Gucci will make no difference whatsoever to the number of animals farmed for their coats. As for “saving the environment”, the airmiles and travelling involved in photographing ad campaigns for luxury brands, the copious packaging which cocoons their products, the glass and steel and non-environmentally friendly materials used to construct their retail outlets… well I could go on and on, but you get the point…

…When they stop selling over-packaged cosmetics in thick cardboard boxes and paying women in the developing world to produce their diffusion ranges for a pittance – then they can talk about ethics and the environment. High fashion is about producing and selling stuff we don’t really need – so the ideal of less consumption (and less waste) is not going to be a winning philosophy, is it?”

And so, we grapple with a few questions: Is the pace of change enough? What more should retailers and labels be doing? Is it even a realistic goal for such brands to embrace ethical as a way of doing business?

“In recent decades, the fashion sector has managed to become one of the most damaging industries in the world on both a social and environmental level. Clothing companies turn over stock at rapid speeds and low prices in what is known as ‘fast fashion’ in order to attract large volumes of business and make the high profits they desire. This tactic results in vast quantities of clothing ending up in landfills.

In order for companies to maintain the low prices that western consumers demand, they outsource manufacturing to the global south to employ workers who earn meager wages and work in dangerous conditions. While many are aware of these injustices, it often feels overwhelming for those of us embedded in fast fashion and consumer culture to address this issue.

Here is a compilation of tips to help you promote a more ethical and sustainable clothing industry through your daily habits, thereby making the process of instigating change a less daunting task.”

Reposted from The Blog in the Huffington Post by Meera Solanki Estrada, Fashion & Culture Expert:

“Just the way we play with new looks and don’t always jump in both feet wet, same goes with eco-fashion.

The fashion industry is notorious for being resource intensive. From water usage, pesticides, sweatshops to textile waste — we are tearing at the seams when it comes to sustainable concerns associated with the world of style. Yet surprisingly, it’s not uncommon to get an eye roll or glazed-over gaze at the mention of eco-fashion. Why?

Never mind that we are living in the era of Trump — when political correctness and caring for the environment are suddenly sore points of scorn — but many simply see “sustainability” as yet another buzzword, something too leftie tree-hugger for their liking.

FashionTakesAction.com

There’s also this perceived workload in buying sustainable clothing and joining the movement which deters many people away from it — too daunting a task to neatly fit into one’s stylish sensibility. That’s two strikes against the sustainable style movement and we’re barely getting started. Tough sell — literally.

Admittedly, I didn’t pay much attention to sustainability in fashion until a couple of years ago when I started forging closer relationships with more Canadian designers and really understanding exactly where and how my clothes were being made. And full disclosure, I still don’t have an exclusively eco-fashion wardrobe, but I am certainly more conscious of my choices, and that’s a start.

“Eco has held a heavy, all-inclusive concept to date but we need to understand there is a spectrum and we don’t have to be ‘completely eco.’ Every little bit helps… Taking action is what we need to do even if we are still trying to figure out how to create a healthy fashion industry, because it is the first time we are challenging the way it’s always been done.“

TWFW

How you can support sustainable fashion

Just the way we play with new looks and don’t always jump in both feet wet, same goes with eco-fashion. You can make small changes towards sustainable style. Every action has impact.

A few simple ways to work sustainable fashion into your look are:

1. Buy natural fibres: Cotton and bamboo are two examples of natural fibers that make great fabrics and clothes.

2. Upcycle: Re-fashion your apparel. Little Grey Line takes old men’s work shirts and remakes them into adorable dresses for little girls. You can also give it a try at home. Just find a great shirt and create your own custom design for your mini-me.

3.Do some DIY: YouTube lately? Even those that can’t work a needle and thread for the life of them (myself included) have learned some pretty cool hacks and can work magic on old wares with some viral video inspiration

4. Shop and swap your closet: Whether it’s a swishing party with your colleagues or swapping pieces with your sis, a simple closet swap instantly adds new life to your wardrobe. You can also take it to the next level by renting pieces from your closet. East or West, you got options. “Take My Sari is a new app dedicated to renting as well as buying and selling Indian fashions.

5. Do some research: There are so amazing eco-friendly brands out there. Get on Google and find something that suits your style. You may find that even one of your favourite designers, like Stella McCartney, has an eco-chic line.

FashionTakesAction.com

Canada’s Sustainable Fashion Awards

There is a steadily growing group of talented eco-friendly designers in Canada, and celebrating them is a step in the right direction. Fashion Takes Action’s Design Forward, a sustainable runway show featuring the top designers in Canada puts them to the test for the first time this year. All of the designers featured beautiful workmanship. The three finalists included Peggy Sue Collection, Triarchy and Omi Woods.

Know who made your clothes

Part of better understanding sustainable style is getting to know the designers behind the brands and what they stand for. Ethics play a key role in many of these brands’ philosophies. From the use of eco-friendly dyes andusing natural, local materials to their fullest extent to working directly with the farmers and artisans involved in making the clothes to ensure fair wages, strong ethics are at the core of many eco brands. Many do not mass produce. They keep a small inventory and only make what is ordered so your product is that much more unique and their manufacturing practices have less of an impact on the earth. Knowing how and where your clothes are made is all part of making you a more conscious consumer.Know who made your clothes”

Do you know where your clothes come from? The apparel industry is one of the biggest violators of both the environment and human rights. In this compelling and information-packed talk, co-founder of Zady Maxine Bédat shows how you can take back the power of your wardrobe, and feel better in (and better about) your clothes.

An expose on the fashion industry written by the Observer’s ‘Ethical Living’ columnist Lucy Siegle, examining the inhumane and environmentally devastating story behind the clothes we so casually buy and wear.

“It’s Earth Month. Which, to an eco-lifestyle evangelist like myself is pretty much akin to the premiere ofGame of Thrones. And while many of us want to make a positive impact on the planet, knowing where to start can be tough. Which steps pack the biggest punch? Which habits are the hardest to change? Youmay already knowwhy reducing our trash is key to lessening the very real climate change crisis. I say “our” because this is our collective problem, and thankfully, there are things we all can do to right this wrong.

If you’re not familiar with the “why” of these steps, here are some stunning facts: Americans create about4.3 pounds of trash per person per day(that’s like carrying around a 30+ pound weight each week), a 169% increase from 1960. We can thank many things for this skyrocketing phenomenon: an increased national focus on convenience, busier lives, and the general accessibility of disposable options. And according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), while 75% of our waste is recyclable,only 30% of it actually gets recycled–and recycling requires loads of energy. Fortunately, a few simple shifts can help us reduce the amount of trash we create while still keeping our lives streamlined, efficient, and chic.”

And we’re back! Apologies for the lack of blog posts over the last few weeks – we were recharging, spending time with loved ones and friends and preparing for an exciting new year. 2016 has been a year of change (both good and bad). We have seen some dark times globally, as well as some bright spots. The ethical fashion movement has continue to grow as awareness has continue to expand. Sadly, so has the detrimental impact that human actions have had on the planet and on our societies.

More than ever, 2017 is a year for us to continue our push forward to empower those that feel helpless in the face of calamity, to find opportunities to do little things that will have a big positive impact on the world and appreciate the beauty in the diversity of cultures, arts and ideas that come from all corners of our planet.

1. Learn about how the products you purchase are sourced

2. Consider buying sustainable fashion products that are made with eco-friendly materials, made under fair-trade conditions, or both

3. Stay fashionable: Look out for some interesting reports on 2017 fashion trends

4. Wear eco-friendly fabrics and ethically made accessories

5. Follow us on Twitter (@enablechange) and subscribe to our blog to get regular update on ethical fashion and gifts

6. Share the sustainable fashion movement with your friends buying ethically made and eco-friendly gifts for them and shopping for ethically made fashion

Wishing you and your loved ones the best of luck in achieving your goals this year. Here’s to a year of joy, success, peace, social consciousness and sustainability!

“Nice shirt? Is that rayon? A report released earlier this month by Rainforest Action Network (RNA) connects tree-pulp-based fabrics like rayon, viscose and modal to decades of human rights abuses. The org isn’t calling out abuses at the factory level, but on the front lines of the plantations from which rayon suppliers get the pulp to make their silky fibres. It’s targeting Ralph Lauren and “the Fashion 15” to clean up their supply chains and make sure they’re free of deforestation and rights violations.

Thanks to the massive worldwide expansion of mostly eucalyptus and acacia mega-plantations for fabric pulp, indigenous community forests are getting bulldozed, and “illegal land-grabbing is rampant,” says RAN. In its latest report, the San Fran-based org singles out Indonesia’s Toba Pulp Lestari for forcibly seizing land in northern Sumatra to clear-cut forests and make way for industrial pulp plantations.

“Every year, tens of millions of trees are turned into clothing through the use of forest fabrics like rayon and viscose,” says Morgan. “As one of the biggest fashion brands in the world, Ralph Lauren has the ability and resources to ensure that human rights abuses and forest destruction won’t be a part of their next collection.””

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The Bay & Harbour Blog

Bay & Harbour is the brainchild of a Toronto-based mother/daughter team with an eye for trend-setting, unique and high-quality fashion & lifestyle products.

The pair is inspired by different cultures, handicraft techniques, discrete designs, and fashion trends from their travels around the world. Bay & Harbour as their outlet to share that love of design with others.

The Bay & Harbour collections feature a variety of accessories & lifestyle products for both men & women.

The co-founders are passionate about fashion with a cause. Many of the Bay & Harbour collections also include pieces that are sustainable and / or ethically made.